variable might not have been initialized!!

I keep getting this error message with this code and I don't understand what it's telling me! Do I need to sort of merge the two chatter methods?

Code java:

---

 
.\Chatter.java:96: error: variable name might not have been initialized
    }
    ^
1 error

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And that is the whole error. it points towards the } which is closing the final method (public Chatter).

I would really appreciate if someone could help me with this, I also get the feeling that I will need to change a method in another class which uses this one once this problem has been resolved..

The Code

Code java:

---

 
public class Chatter implements Runnable
{
 
   /**
    * The name of the Chatter.
    * This should be the ID chosen by the remote user on joining
    * the chatroom.
    * This value is set in the constructor.
    *
    */
   public final String name;
 
 
	public void run()
	{
	}
   /**
    * Creates a new <code>Chatter</code> instance with a given name.
    * This constructor implements operation newChatter in the
    * <a href="chatroom.maude">Chatter specification</a>.
    *
    * @param n the name for this Chatter
    */
 
   public Chatter(String n)
   {
		name = n;
   }
 
   /**
    * Return the {@link #name name} of the Chatter.
    * This method implements operation getName in the
    * <a href="chatroom.maude">Chatter specification</a>.
    *
    * @return the {@link #name name} of the Chatter
    */
   public String getName()
   {
      return name;
   }
 
   /**
    * Send a message across the network to the remote user.
    *
    * @param msg the msg to be sent
    */
   public void sendToUser(String msg)
   {
   }
 
    Chatter theChatter;
   /**
    * Pointer to the tail of the list.
    * Default scope modifier, so that this field can be efficiently
    * accessed in class ChatterList.
    *
    */
   Chatter next;
   /**
    * Creates a new <code>ChatterNode</code> instance.
    *
    * @param c the Chatter at this node
    * @param next the tail of this list
    */
	   public Chatter(Chatter c, Chatter next)
   {
		this.next = next;
		theChatter = c;
   }
 
}

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Assign the variable a default value when you define it.

Thanks for the reply again Norm!

I assume that by this you mean that when I define variable name I should set it as something, i.e.

Code java:

---

 
public final String name = x;

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However I can't do this because it is a final string. If I get rid of the final, I get the old "could not find symbol" on x!

Am I completely off track?

What is x? It doesn't appear to be a String. Why not get rid of final and assign name an initial value that makes more sense like ""?

Try adding another constructor that sets a value for the variable so that the compiler will know that the variable has been given a value.